Also known as: IMF · the Fund · National Assistance Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons
International Monetary Fund — multilateral institution that pressures Kenya on fiscal consolidation and holds back disbursements, involved in negotiations with multiple African nations.
… According to the International Monetary Fund, global pension savings reached USD 63.1 trillion by the end of 2023, nearly three times higher than two decades ago. …
When the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned last month that the economic impact of the Middle East war could trigger “social tensions” and fresh unrest across vulnerable African nations, Kenyan officials played down the risk. …
… The International Monetary Fund welcomed the engagement between the two most powerful leaders, noting that reduced tensions between the world’s two largest economies would benefit global recovery and stability. …
The government’s fiscal planning has entered a precarious holding pattern after talks between President William Ruto and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva ended without a breakthrough. …
… A former Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and former Governor of the Central Bank of West African States, he carries an economic pedigree that few sitting presidents on the continent can match.In Nairobi, that expertise has been in high demand, with the …
… A former Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and former Governor of the Central Bank of West African States, he carries an economic pedigree that few sitting presidents on the continent can match.In Nairobi, that expertise has been in high demand, with the …
… He added that Africa must increasingly finance its own development rather than rely on institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. …
… ssed the need to bridge digital divides affecting women, youth, rural communities and vulnerable groups.On financial reforms, participants called for changes to the international financial architecture, including increased African representation at the International Monetary Fund …
… Before entering politics, he served as Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and Governor of the Central Bank of West African States, giving him one of the strongest economic credentials among African leaders today. …
… The UN chief argued that the current international financial architecture was designed without Africa’s participation, leaving the continent disadvantaged in institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and the United Nations Security Council. …
Anti-jihadist militia fighters told AFP that suspected jihadists killed 11 farmers in two separate attacks in northeastern Nigeria this weekend. Communities in northern and central Nigeria face attacks from jihadist groups and criminal gangs known as "bandits," who kidnap for ransom, rustle cattle, and impose taxes on farmers seeking field access.
Anti-jihadist militia fighters told AFP that suspected jihadists killed 11 farmers in two separate attacks in northeastern Nigeria this weekend. Communities in northern and central Nigeria face attacks from jihadist groups and criminal gangs known as "bandits," who kidnap for ransom, rustle cattle, and impose taxes on farmers seeking field access.
President William Ruto represented Kenya at the G7 Summit in Évian, France (15–17 June 2026), positioning Kenya as an agenda-shaping partner. He argued for a shift away from aid dependency toward mutually beneficial partnerships and investment-driven development, and stated that Africa can no longer be viewed through a deficit lens in global decision-making.
President William Ruto has called for Africa's inclusion in reforming international financial and governance institutions, including the UN Security Council, IMF, and World Bank, arguing these institutions need to be democratised for the benefit of all nations. He made the remarks during a media interview in Evian, France, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.
President Ruto participated in the G7 Summit in France as an agenda-shaping partner and stated that Kenya will benefit from G7-backed financial reforms including guarantees, risk-sharing instruments, and improved debt restructuring frameworks aimed at lowering capital costs for developing countries. Ruto positioned Africa as a partner in global growth and raised concerns over "capital injustice" and outdated perceptions affecting African borrowing costs.
The International Monetary Fund chief welcomed a US-Iran ceasefire agreement but cautioned that energy supply disruptions and infrastructure damage mean recovery will take time. The IMF will release updated growth and inflation projections on July 8.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga has claimed that political leadership uses public borrowing to drain resources, noting that the country's debt has risen from Sh1.77 trillion in 2013 to nearly Sh13 trillion. He said the debt, which he described as mostly "odious debt," has crowded out private businesses from credit markets.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi delivered the 2026-27 budget speech at Parliament, addressing cost of living, employment, and growth, while highlighting achievements in economic growth, agriculture, health, and housing. The opinion piece critiques the budget's presentation and notes missing indicators such as productivity.
The International Monetary Fund concluded a week-long mission to Mozambique and discussed the country's request for a fund-supported arrangement. Mozambique faces a challenging economic situation with subdued growth recovery from a 2025 contraction, and the IMF reclassified the country's debt as unsustainable in February.
President William Ruto, who promised in 2022 that the government should not borrow to finance recurrent expenditure and pledged a 10 per cent borrowing limit, now faces a 2026-27 budget with a record Sh1.03 trillion in planned local borrowing from commercial banks, pension funds, and insurance companies to cover a Sh1.146 trillion deficit.
President Bola Tinubu said Nigeria has killed more than 13,000 "terrorists" in the past year, claiming the death toll from the country's jihadist insurgency is down 81 percent since he took power in 2023. He also reported that over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor.
The Middle East conflict that broke out in late February has disrupted energy supplies and triggered the largest oil supply disruption in history, with global oil supply losses reaching 12.8 million barrels per day. International institutions including the OECD have lowered global growth forecasts, citing the prolonged conflict as a major source of uncertainty affecting inflation, financial markets and supply chains.
The National Treasury Cabinet Secretary will present a pre-election budget with a Sh1.1 trillion deficit as both the IMF and World Bank have held back funding, forcing the government to rely on domestic borrowing or new taxes. The World Bank has yet to disburse a Sh96.9 billion loan under its Development Policy Operation, with negotiations still ongoing.
The National Treasury's Finance Bill 2026 reflects nearly two years of pressure from the International Monetary Fund to close Kenya's fiscal gap through new taxes, spending cuts, and fiscal consolidation.
Members of Parliament have raised concerns over rising numbers of children reported missing, with reports from government and protection agencies indicating hundreds disappear in unclear circumstances linked to trafficking, abduction, and exploitation. A Kisii County MP called for urgent intervention and a statement from the National Assembly committee on the effectiveness of child protection mechanisms and speed of response in tracing missing minors.
Ousmane Sonko, Senegal's recently ousted prime minister, announced that his Pastef party will not participate in the country's new government following disagreements with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye about the party's future role, raising the prospect of political gridlock as Senegal faces a debt crisis and negotiates with the International Monetary Fund.
Ethiopians voted on Monday with the Prosperity Party of incumbent Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expected to win a landslide victory. Abiy, who has ruled since 2018, has been criticized for growing authoritarianism despite his earlier Nobel Peace Prize win for mending relations with Eritrea.
Project management professionals have warned that weak execution could undermine Kenya's record Sh4.8 trillion budget for 2026/27, noting that Kenya's challenge is not a shortage of development plans but the ability to deliver them. Development spending in the 2024/25 financial year reached only 58.3 per cent absorption as of March 2026.
An opinion piece argues that recent protests over fuel prices stem not only from the price increase itself, but from the government's failure to pre-empt public concern and explain the reasons for higher diesel costs, which the author attributes to debt servicing and revenue needs.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government on Friday, following months of growing tensions between the two former allies. The move comes as Senegal faces a debt crisis and stalled negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and dissolved the government on Friday, deepening a crisis in the debt-laden nation after months of escalating tensions between the two leaders.
Britain will extend a 5 pence per litre cut in motor fuel duty until the end of the year to ease cost-of-living pressures following the Middle East conflict and rising global oil prices. The government also announced a 12-month road tax holiday for hauliers and a cut to red diesel duty.
Kenya's pension industry has grown to Ksh.2.81 trillion (16.05% of GDP), with Ksh.554 billion added in 2025 alone at 25% annual growth, but more than half of assets remain invested in government securities rather than productive business investment.
The International Monetary Fund warned last month that the economic impact of the Middle East war could trigger "social tensions" and unrest across vulnerable African nations. On Monday, thousands took to the streets across Kenya, validating the Fund's prediction after Kenyan officials had downplayed the risk.
An opinion piece argues that China has become indispensable to global stability and that the Trump-Xi discussions during the US president's Beijing visit demonstrated how China-US relations are now the single most consequential relationship shaping global diplomacy, trade, and regional conflicts.
Talks between President William Ruto and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva ended without agreement, with the Fund insisting on politically and socially sensitive reforms 15 months before Kenya's next general election, leaving the government's fiscal planning in a precarious holding pattern.
At the inaugural Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, President William Ruto held bilateral meetings with Côte d'Ivoire's Alassane Ouattara, with both agreeing to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries.
President William Ruto held bilateral meetings with Côte d'Ivoire's Alassane Ouattara at State House on the sidelines of the inaugural Africa Forward Summit, with the two leaders agreeing to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties.
Economist XN Iraki warned that Kenya may gain political benefits from the Africa Forward Summit co-hosted by President Ruto and French President Macron, which mobilised €23 billion in investments across Africa, but little relief for struggling households. Iraki suggested France's willingness to accommodate Kenya reflected its strategic interests in English-speaking nations following setbacks in West Africa, and that both leaders used the summit to deflect from domestic pressures rather than deliver structural economic change.
President William Ruto told the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi that Africa cannot continue depending on foreign aid to finance development, and must instead focus on investment, innovation and mobilizing local resources. Ruto also criticized the international financial system for imposing high borrowing costs and unfair risk assessments on African countries, and backed creation of an Africa Credit Rating Agency to correct distortions in risk perception.